1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to outdoor grill accessories, and more particularly, a foldable worktable attachment for an outdoor grill that provides a large work space for preparing foods and the like when in an erect position, but that may also be collapsed into a very compact position so that it lies flush against one of the sides of the grill housing.
2) Description of Related Art
One of the major limitations of an outdoor grill is the lack of work surface that is provided on the grill for purposes of preparing or simply storing foods that are to be, or have already been, cooked on the grill. Conventional grills typically provide two small shelves, one located on each side of the cooking surface of the grill. In some instances, one of the shelves is actually a side burner that can only be used as shelf space when not in use. When the side burner is in use, however, the grill only provides one shelf.
As anyone who has used an outdoor grill knows, it is advantageous to be able to store foods that are waiting to be grilled or that have been grilled on an easily reached shelf space. It would further be advantageous to have sufficient work space to be able to prepare the food that is to be cooked on the grill, thus minimizing the number of trips between the kitchen and the outdoor grill. However, grill manufacturers know that the size of the grill is of concern to consumers in that consumers have space limitations and cannot always accommodate a grill that is more than about 4-6 feet long. Accordingly, most outdoor grills utilize one or more small shelves. There has been a long felt need for a grill having an ample grilling surface as well as an ample work space for food preparation while keeping the grill within an acceptable and custom length for ordinary outdoor grills.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a grill having a worktable that provides an ample surface on which to store or prepare foods to be grilled, while keeping the dimensions of the grill within consumers' expectations and preferences.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a grill having a worktable that may be folded into a compact position along the side of the grill when the table is not in use so as to minimize the size of the grill when not in use.
Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide an aftermarket accessory that may be attached to an outdoor grill to provide a foldable worktable with sufficient room to prepare and store foods to be grilled.